How hard is Blackpool???

It's been quite some time since I last posted. In fact it’s been quite some time since I last picked up a camera and shot properly. The reason for this is that I have been a little ill and to be perfectly honest, I haven't felt up to my usual creative self.

The other week I took a trip out to Blackpool with my daughter and her friend with the hope of shooting some more Lancoast images. I thought it was going to be easy I actually thought it was going to be the easiest location of the Lancoast essay.

I'm not sure if it is because I am out of practice, struggling creatively or that it was finding something to shoot but I found myself having difficulties finding a picture. Well, that is not exactly true.  I found a few pictures, the difficulty I was having was finding a subject that would fit in nicely with the Lancoast images and also work in monochrome.

As I have discussed earlier, the idea behind Lancoast is that eventually I make salt prints from the sea water of the locations.  The final prints will have a brown monochrome tone to them so the images that I take must working in black & white.

The problem I was having with Blackpool is that it’s so damn colourful!  In fact it is so colourful that it doesn’t work well in mono.

The images I took on the night are nice and I am pleased with them but they won’t make the final selection because of the colour.

So I suppose the question is; do I return to Blackpool and have another go before moving north or do I continue north and return to Blackpool in the future?  One thing for certain is that Lancoast wouldn’t be Lancoast with Blackpool.

I’m also wrestling with other issues regarding the technicalities of delivering the essay.  The original intention was to shoot this entire essay on pinhole cameras using film as the medium.

Originally, I intended to use the Micropress 5” x 4” but attempting to do this in the field has been difficult due to the number of shots I can carry at any one time.  So I’m currently playing with a 35mm pinhole to get a similar result but without the weight.  I think the answer will be a limited series of salt prints from the 5” x 4” and then a mix of monochrome film and some digital to bulk out the essay.

The rest of the images from Blackpool can be seen here.

And so it begins...

Last week I had a little time to myself so it was time to go out and takes some pictures.

So I called it an Lytham St. Annes and took two shots on the 4" x 5" pinhole.  I also shot some 35mm film in my Pentax K1000 in order to test variable ND filters with film in addition to this I took the opportunity to shoot some digital images as well.

I'm now back in my quandary.  Do I continue to shoot on the 4" x 5" and make loads of visits to the coast or do I develop the 35mm pinhole to make better images.  Time for a think.

I've yet to develop the film but will post when I'm done.  For now though here is one of my digital images and the rest can be seen here

Talking Tech - Workflow

I briefly mentioned in an earlier post about workflow.

Workflow is one of those things that we all fall in to doing.  It is the set routine we have when we get to a location.  It’s the way we set up our gear; the way we alter our camera settings.  It’s our little rituals.  We all have them.

Digitally, this is relative simple.  Using film and in particular pinholes is a bit of a different story.

For a start off, with the pinholes you can forget using the camera (if it has one) light meter.  There ain’t enough light going in to the camera for it to work or you to see that darn needle!  It’s sunny 16 all the way.

Secondly, the viewfinder ain’t gonna help you compose it darn dark in there!

Thirdly, with such long reciprocity failure of film is going to cause your problems.

So with this in mind I’m going to guide you through my workflow.  For both examples I’m going to assume that the camera is on the tripod and ready and I will refer to my Sunny 16 Chart.

4” x 5”

1. Line the camera up with the subject.  This takes a lot of time!
2. Look around and decide what Lighting Situation is.
3. Read the shutter speed off the Sunny 16 Chart.
4. Check reciprocity chart.
5. Work out shutter speed.
6. Put thumb over pinhole making sure it is clean beforehand.
7. Remove dark slide.
8. Remove thumb while starting stopwatch.
9. After exposure cover pinhole with thumb.
10. Replace dark slide.
11. Turn dark slide over.

That’s one exposure of the 4” x 5” done.  Simples!

35mm Pinhole

My Pracktica MTL3 is an SLR and as a result allows the use of a lens and after a change over a pinhole.  So here is my workflow for this camera.  The ASA of the film is already dialled in to the camera.

1. Put 50mm lens on the camera.
2. Set to f16.
3. Read light meter and set shutter speed.
4. Make an exposure.
5. Read off shutter speed.
6. Change lens for pinhole.
7. Find the f16 shutter speed on the sunny 16 chart.  Move along the row until I am in the aperture column for the MTL3 pinhole.  Read off shutter speed.
8. Check reciprocity chart.
9. Work out shutter speed.
10. Make an exposure while starting the stop watch.
11. Make a second exposure 1 stop over exposed.
12. Make a third exposure 1 stop under exposed of the original.

So that is my work flow for making one image off both cameras.  It’s quite simple just takes a little time.  But that’s the thing with film.  You slow down and enjoy what you are doing.

For a little added help.  Here's a copy of my exposure chart.

 

World Pinhole Day and Lancoast Update

A while ago I posted about World Pinhole Day.  Well, I went out and shot an image on the Micropress 4” x 5” Pinhole.  I was out on quite a lovely warm morning and sprawled out in the sun for about an hour while the light, landscape, physics and chemistry did there bit and created a nice little image.

This has been uploaded to the World Pinhole Photography website and is now part of its annual exhibition.

The Lancoast project is divided up in to two distinct sections the first is the shooting phase which involved quite a bit of experimentation to ensure that I could get the results that I wanted.  I have to admit, I am a happy bunny.  I like the negatives that I’m getting.  I’m also now used to the film.  I have a good idea of how I should handle it in both shooting and developing.  So the experimentation phase is now well and truly over with for this part of the project.  Soon I will be going out on to location and making pictures.

Of course, I will be scanning the images and posting on here so there will be something to see but once winter comes the second phase of experimentation will begin.  That is the experimentation of making paper and prints.  Interesting and challenging times!

Just can't leave it alone

The funny thing with pinhole and film photography in general is that I just can't leave it alone.  It's addictive.  In fact in several posts that I have made I have consistently said that I'm enjoying the whole process more that digital.  I still feel like I'm crafting something.

Last week, I decided that I would shoot with the 4" x 5" again.  I had four sheets of film left (now two) but I thought I would continue to experiment with this film.

The other night I decided I would take a shot of Marsden Park, Nelson.  This is an area that has water in and plenty of activity.  It's a good choice to give me an idea a coastal 4" x 5" pinhole would look like.

Of course I was using the Rollei ATO 2.1 film that I had left.  This time I took some advice from Massive Dev Chart.  I decided I would shoot it with an EI of 1 but the exposure time would have been around 36 hours.  I didn't really want to spend that much time on site so I decided I would expose it for the amount of time I had and then see what happened.  So in the end the exposure ended up being around 40 minutes.  Quite impressed with this one.  Still could have done with a little longer exposure but it's nearly there!

World Pinhole Day is on its way!

World Pinhole Day is on its way.  Why not take part.  It's really easy and creative.  For more details visit the World Pinhole Photography Day Website.

Getting somewhere at last!

The Pracktica MTL3 with pinhole lens attached.

I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere!

A couple of days ago I made yet another pinhole shim for the Pracktica MTL3 35mm SLR.  As you may recall, I love the look of the pinhole on the Micropress 4" x 5" but was a little worried about making a full essay with the reliance on one camera.

During a brainstorm I realised I had the MTL3 spare and could convert that to a pinhole.  That way, I could use the 4" x 5" to make the critical images that I have planned for the essay and carry the MTL3 in case I come accross something I hadn't considered.  In addition to this the MTL3 can carry 36 exposures in one roll and I can carry several rolls in my pocket at once!  Whereas the 4" x 5" has two shots in the dark slide and carrying several dark slides around may get to be hard work.


Pinhole shot taken with previous

 pinhole shim.    Lacks a little definition.

I'm happy with the 4" x 5".  In terms of quality the images are fantastic.  In fact to say there isn't any real lens on the camera they are well beyond what I expected.

The 35mm, I have struggled with.  I wasn't getting anywhere near the image quality that I wanted.  I didn't mind too much that the images we very impressionist in their appearence but what I did want to see was a little more detail.  I didn't want the images to be too blurry.  I wanted them to have just enough definition.  The new shim gives me the level if detail that I was after.

Looking at the lens you wouldn't even think there was a hole there.  It is tiny.  In fact it is the diameter of the tip of a sewing needle.  But it's working.




Pinhole lens version.  Note the less blurry look to

 the pavilion shot.

Image taken with 50mm lens

attached to camera.



The other day, I put a roll of Ilford FP4+ in the camera and took it out and I am happy with the results.  There is now quite a bit of definition in the images and I really don't think I need to go any sharper with this.  This will do nicely.

Next thing to sort out is which film.  Do I stay with my favourite black & white film, FP4+ or do I try something else.  In the coming weeks I will be ordering some film to take on holiday with me.  I might have to order a range of films to see which I like best.

For now though it's time to leave Lancoast alone for a while.  I have my cameras set up, I know what I'm doing with film and by the time I get back from holiday it will down to the business of shooting the essay.

Image taken with 50mm

lens attached.

Pinhole lens version.  Note

detail in the grass and on

the bridge.

 * Click the images to see larger version.







Continuing the experiments

I've just posted a story on my main blog about an experiment with a film that I was given.  It's not really an Lancoast story but I did use a pinhole lens as part of the experiment.

Back to the drawing board

With 50mm lens

Yesterday I posted about my experiments with a 35mm pinhole camera as well as the 4" x 5".

Well after that initial experiment I made a shim with a smaller hole to see if I could get a sharper image and boy was that hole small.  However, tonight I put the film through the tank and was a little disappointed.  The image taken with the new pinhole lens are just as bad.  The light of the dark is that I did managed to make some rather nice photographs with the 50mm lens on the MTL3.

The promised post on work flow will be here either tomorrow or early next week.  In the meantime why not compare the images yourself.  I have to admit to liking the abstract nature of the pinhole shots but I don't think they are anywhere near good enough yet!

With 50mm lens

With pinhole lens

With 50mm lens

With pinhole lens

Further Experiments with Pinholes

Colne Water - Praktica MTL3, 50mm
lens, Kentmere 100 film

It’s official.

I’m a worrier.

Well, that’s not strictly true.  I’m actually a good boy scout; I like to be prepared.

The experiments with the 4” x 5” have been extremely enjoyable.  In fact, I’ve relished the challenge of trying something new and a little more complex than I am used to but (and it is a big but) I began to (not) worry (but have it in the back of my mind) about what do I do if I can’t get a decent image out of the 4” x 5” pinhole.

Let’s make this clear.  This isn’t the camera’s fault; it’s not the films fault; it’s mine.

I am quite a technical person but my downfall is maths and physics.  What does photography rely on?  Maths, physics and chemistry.  I suppose one out of three is a start.  I can at least cope and do quite well with the chemistry stuff!

The camera is fine.  I’m getting sharp enough images out of it for what I want.  The exposure is the problem and this is compounded by the fact that there is no data sheet for reciprocity failure leaving me guessing to what the exposure should be.

The other worry is what if I want to take more than two shots?  The obvious answer is to buy more dark slides and carry them with me.  Which, I have resolved to do.  The other option is to have a changing bag and change on the fly (I’ve ruled this one out due to me likely to have some sort of light accident).

So, as a good boy scout, I have come up with a back up plan.

I have a spare camera.  A Praktica MTL3 which is in good condition.  It’s also a 35mm.  What if I make this in to a pinhole as well?  I can carry endless rolls of Ilford FP4+, Kentmere 100 or even Rollei ATO 2.1 (in 135 roll form).  They are lighter than dark slides, and I can have 36 images per roll.  In addition to this if I use FP4+ or Kentmere I have reciprocity data readily available (learning a lesson yet Rollei?).  With the amount I am able to carry I am also able to bracket shots to ensure perfect exposure.  What’s one more shot off a roll of 36?  It’s a bit different when you only have one or two shots to pull off the perfect photograph.

Woodland Path - Praktica MTL3, Pinhole Lens,
Kentmere 100 film.

And so, I made a pinhole lens for my MTL3.  This was very easily done.  I got a body cap and drilled a 15mm hole in it.  On the back of the cap I attached a small piece of aluminium with a hole of around 0.5mm through the centre et voila a pin hole lens.

First in the camera was a roll of Kentmere 100.  This I had data for and the exposure is more or less perfect.  However, the image is really blurred.  This can only be down to the pinhole size.  The answer?  Make a new shim with a smaller pinhole.  Which is exactly what I have done.

I have to admit, I really do like the blurred image.  It’s kind of abstract in its nature but still has definition.  You can tell what the subject is without know the subject location.  It’s almost impressionist.  I think I would have liked it even more if it had been in colour.

So, the new lens has been constructed.  Lessons in handling the camera and working out the exposure have been learnt and a workflow is in place (which will be the subject of the next post).  I had a roll of FP4+ lolling around my camera bag so that has been slapped in the camera and is in the process of being shot.  Will post some images after the roll is finished and been developed.

Incidentally; shooting with a pinhole lens means you can’t see anything through the viewfinder and so I take a shot with a 50mm lens (which is pretty close to the focal length of the pinhole).  This also helps with exposure.  The shot at the top of this post is one of the images that came out.  It is the same location as one of the 4” x 5” test shots.

The Experiment Continues

Colne Water - Rollei ATO 2.1 exposed for 64 seconds.
Developed in Rodinol 1:300 for 13 minutes.

Last week we had a break in the weather and what a lovely little rest bite it was too.

It also meant a chance to carry on the experiment with the Micropress 5 x 4 pinhole.

So, I loaded up two sheets of film and off I trotted to a little place at the top of Colne.

The problem with the Rollei ATO is that there is no data on the reciprocity of the film therefore the experiment this time was to test for this.  The first exposure was based on the sunny 16 rule and this negative didn’t develop.  It was quite literally black.  The second exposure was based on FP4+ reciprocity and ended up with an exposure of around 64 seconds.  I reckon that this is around 3 stops under exposed so based on this assumption the exposure time should be around eight minutes and we should get somewhere close.

Although the exposure isn’t quite right it is easy to tell from the negative that the image is nice and sharp where it needs to be and should be able to produce good results.  I still have four sheets left of this film to experiment with.  Roll on the next break in the weather!

Being Experimental

In the last post I talked about the conception of the Lancoast essay and focused a little on the Micropress 4" x 5" camera that I converted to a pinhole camera.  Well, the time had come to test it.

Roe Lee Pavilion - Rollei ATO 2.1
exposed for 3 seconds processed
in Rodinol 1:300 for 12 minute

I had taken a couple of shots with it before but they hadn't turned out very well mainly down to my inexperience with this format of film processing and shooting.  The way round it?  Learn more, shoot more!

The first two shots that came out of the camera had an issue with them.  

Firstly, I developed the negative in a tank with not quite enough chemical in it.  My maths, my fault!

Secondly; there was an artifact on the negative and I couldn't work out why.  The answer was simple and complicated at the same time.

Roe Lee Pavilion - Rollei ATO 2.1 exposed for 75 seconds
processed in Rodinol 1:300 for 12 minute

I had temporarily secured the pinhole shim with masking tape, just to try out the camera.  The bottom of the shin had come away causing a slight light leak on to the negative.  Simple.  The artifact pattern was a little more complicated.  The way the film is produced caused an odd light distribution pattern and was the reason I overlooked the obvious.  Nicholas Middleton talks about it a little here.  This page is invaluable for anyone wishing to experiment with this film.

After taking the camera to bits I re-secured the shim with duct tape (the material without all building projects would fail!).  Time to load some more film.

A few weeks earlier a couple of us were discussing shooting with the pinhole and the length of exposure.  The calculator I was using gave an exposure time of 3 seconds.  Bob thought that it was too short but any instructions I found regarding the film did not intimate any reciprocity failure. So the next shoot was to be an experiment in exposure length.  The first shot was taken at 3 seconds which the exposure calculator suggested.  The second shot was taken using the the reciprocity failure of FP4+ as a guide (is was the only guide I had to hand.  Must luck harder!).   The exposure time became become 75 seconds.  The result, Bob was right!  In fact I think 75 seconds isn't quite long enough!

Both negatives were developed in a tray under red light using Massive Dev Charts recommendations of 1:300 Rodinol for 12 minutes.  The result.  A usable image.  Not quite perfect yet, but we're getting there!

The Story of Lancoast

 

Lancoast is a very unusual essay for me as it starts with a concept.  The concept has been borne out of many an hour pondering what to do and how to do it.  Normally with one of my essays it begins with an accident, a happening that makes a realisation.  This essay has come about the other way.  The idea first.

Nearly twelve months ago I happened to be talking to a friend of mine about shooting some film and the discussion came round to idea that I fancied having a go at building a pinhole camera; probably a large format pinhole camera at that.  The next time we met, Bob, handed to me a Micropress 4” x 5” camera that had been broken but would make a suitable toy for me to play with.

The reason I wanted to shoot a pinhole?

I’ve long admired really long exposure images for quite some time and even played with them myself (with a digital camera).  I also love the quality of a large format photograph.  There is something very beautiful and tactile about handling one of these large negatives.  Knowing that you can get a really sharp image from a pinhole camera then this seemed an obvious choice.  The combination of a really small aperture and slow film would surely bring about the images that I was looking for.

Of course not every subject suits long exposures.  The flow of water and the movement of the sky are subjects that really become something else when this type of photography is used.

It didn’t take me long to hit on the idea of using Lancashire’s coastline as the subject.  I want something quite stark, minimalist, and monochromatic but at the same time recognisable.

I have also started to develop ideas of what I want the final outcome of the essay to be.

I’ve been toying with the idea using alternative processes to create prints for a while and it seems fitting that photographs of the Lancashire Coastline should be printed using a constituent of sea water, salt.

This is early days.  These are ideas.  Come back soon and see how the essay is developing.